The drivers side seat belt did not latch properly and became unfastened while driving.
1996 Ford Explorer seat belts complaints
Page 3 of 4: complaints 41 to 70 of 78, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The seat belt failed due to a fatigue crack in the buckles spring. *ak *jb
Drivers seat belt over the course of 3 weeks, gradually went from popping out in to not working at all. Went back to ford, over $200.00 to repair it.
The driver's seat belt did not latch properly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated the buckle needed to be replaced. *jb *scc
Seat belt failure. The drivers seatbelt fails to hold/latch. Seatbelt is completely unuseable.
Seat belt buckle failure, driver's side, 1996 ford explorer xlt, @72000 miles. Car is in good condition otherwise, never wrecked. Over the course of two weeks, the buckle went from to "popping-out the latch" occasionally to being near impossible to secure the latch in to the buckle and random "pop-outs".the buckle was replaced and I kept the old buckle.
1996 ford explorer, drivers side seat belt will not stay latched.
All of the seat belts do not latch.dealer notified.*ak
Both front seats belts release on their own. Have done so numerous times. I will replace them today. Dt
Driver's seatbelt will not latch, and consumer is unable to use it while driving. Cause unknown. Dealer notified.
Vehicle was going 30-35mph and flipped over driver's seat belt wouldn't unlock, leaving consumer in a upside down position. Consumer used a screw driver to unlatch the seat belt. Dealer and manufacturer were notified. Seat belt part# trw tc077. *ak the air bag also failed during the accident. The cause for losing control of the vehicle was due to the tire which rolled off from the safety rim.
Vehicle was involved in a collision in which vehicle rolled over, and passenger seat belt buckle released from locking mechanism. Please give any further details.
Both rear restraints do not retract, leaving occupants unrestrained. Feel free to provide any further information.
Driver's side seat belt buckle would not stay latched, and plastic on passenger side seat belt is cracking. Feel free to provide any further information concerning this matter.
The consumer was traveling when the vehicle was struck in the rear by another vehicle, causing the vehicle to spin around and roll. During the accident, the driver door came open and the driver seat belt came loose. As a result, driver was thrown out of the vehicle. The passenger's seat belt also became loose. The driver died instantly. The passenger suffered serious injuries. The air bags also failed to deploy.(sister on behalf of deceased brother)
Consumer states that rear seat belt buckles are tight together and that the release buttons are located at the tops of the buckles making them very difficult to unlatch. *jada
Rear passenger seat belt latch was placed into center position receptacle, and was unable to get it released. Had to cut belt to free the passeanger. Dealer / manufacturer were not notified at this time. Feel free to provide any further information.
On 09/23/01 my 24yr. Old soninlaw was killed when he lost control and hit a meidian and tree was on two tires then went 30ft thru the air before the explorer he was driving rolled and threw him out the driver window. He was wearing seat belt which he had had trouble with since purchase failed and he was ejected also his brother in passenger side couldnt get his belt to latch but he was lucky and walked away. The truck was also equipped with airbags on both sides which didnt deploy either. My son in law died that night when he was ejected and the truck landed on half of his face. He left behind a wife and 2sons and a 1 month old daughter. These explorers are death traps please do not purchase one.
Driver's side rear seat belt locked up, and would not release from locking mechanism . Seat belt had to be cut to release child from the seat. Please give any further details.
On dec. 13, 2000, my 22 year old son totalled this vehicle after hitting a patch of "black ice" while traveling at a speed of approximately 45-50 MPH. The vehicle rolled according to an eyewitness 4 times and landed on its roof. My son was, thank god, wearing his seatbelt! He was able to release his seatbelt and crawled through the driver's window which had been broken out. He escaped without any injuries! My concern is so much emphasis has been placed on the rollover possibilities when a tire blows, why not the possibility of flipping when hitting ice? Is anything being investigated to correct the top heaviness of the vehicle, especially the 2-door models. More emphasis needs to be placed on the necessity of wearing seatbelts to survive a rollover..
Both rear seat belts jam/lock repeatedly and have since 11/97. I have been to dealerships 6 times to have them fixed. They have been replaced two times by two different dealerships, yet they continue to jam/lock and are unusable until they are fixed. Over the past year I have been able to unjam them myself without going to the dealership. I have two children (ages 6 and 8) I must have properly working seat belts. Over the summer the drivers side seat belt also has been jamming occassionally. I have talked with several other explorer owners and they have the same problems with their belts as well. If they are locking up, how can they possibly work effectively in the event of an accident?
While driving and seat belt is fastened, when moving around,seat belt will come undone. Dealer has been notified. Please provide further information.
Shoulder belts on driver's side and passenger's side are falling apart. Seat belt material is rotting away. Dealer has been notified about the problem. The belts will be replaced at owner's expense. *ak
Driver's side/rear passenger's seat belt buckles would not unlatch, causing the occupant to become trapped in the seat. Consumer has contacted the dealer. Please provide any further details.
Driver's side rear passenger seat belt retracted or gave out & it released the rearfacing css. Child & seat toppled over to left. Driver tried to resecure seat belt, but retractor failed. Took vehicle to dealer & was informed by mechanic retractor was broken.
Seat belt caught the son and would not release him. Seat belt was cut.consumer contacted dealer and manufacturer.
The vehicle is a 2 door, ford explorer sport. Each of the two rear passenger seats have a seat belt. The left seat (looking in the forward direction ) has the seat belt connector on the right side. The right seat has the seat belt fastener on the left side. The problem is that the two fasteners almost touch and if someone has to push the buttom on either one to unfasten it, it is very very difficult to separate the fasteners to push the button.
Seat belt failed.
Front seat belt failed.
Seat belts lock into place, preventing driver from leaning foward.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 1996 Ford Explorer?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history